Brick machine



Jan. 16, 1934. E BAER 1,943,506

BRICK MACHINE Filed Oct. 16, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet l Jan. 16v, 1934. E. s. BAER BRICK MACHINE Filed OCT.. 16, 1931 Jan. 16, 1934.

E. s'. BAER I 1,943,506

A BRICK MACHINE vFiled oct. 16. 1951' s sheets-sheet 3 195 La a l Patented Jan. 16, 1934 STATES PATENT orifice j 6 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of .brick making, and its purpose is to provide a machine adapted to produce simultaneously a plurality of thin tiles similiar in outline to conventional bricks but of much less thickness. This involves certain special problems in the handling ci the clay as it passes through the molding die and the cutting devices which are employed for slitting the brick of conventional dimensions into L1C several thin slabs. The invention consists in several features and elements of construction of the molding die and associated parts, as herein shown and described, and as indicated by the claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a face View of the die of a conventional brick machine with appliances embodying this invention fitted thereto.

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional View taken as indicated at line 2-2 on Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical section taken as indicated at line 3-3 on Figure 2, showing the cutter frame in position with the slicker die removed.

Figure 4 is a rear elevation of thel slicker die itself showing the oil grooves therein.

Figure 5 is a detail section taken as indicated at line 5-5 on Fig. 1, illustrating thetensioning means for the cutter wires.

Figure 6 is a vertical section showing the extruded clay bar emerging from the machine, and indicating the effect of insuiiicient oiling.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 indicating the correct form of the extruded bar when the oiling is properly regulated.

Figure 8 is a front face View of a special slicker die for forming tiles with beveled ends.

Figure 9 is an elevation of a block or brick comprising several tiles as formed simultaneous- 40 ly in the die shown in Figure 8.

The drawings show certain modifications of the conventional brick-making machine which may be understood as designed to extrude a clay bar approximately 3% by 8 inches in crosssection, though it would be obvious that these dimensions are by no means essential to the practice of the invention. The bar is pressed into this form as it passes through the rectangular opening in the die, 1, and in the manufacture of ordinary brick a continuous bar oi this cross-section moves for some little distance away from the die on a traveling belt to a point where it is cut transversely to formA the individual bricks which are then conveyed to the kilns for 55 firing. The present invention is related to the manufacture of a building material which conssts of a sheet of wall board or the like to which there are cemented a number of relatively thin tiles each of the same area as the usual exposed face of a brick in a brick Wall; these tiles are spaced apart by the amount ordinarily allowed for mortar in a brick wall, and the assembly of wall board and brick tiles is nailed or otherwise secured to the framework of a building to form its exterior wall. After the assembly is thus erected the spaces Vbetween the tiles are filled with mortar to complete the appearance of the conventional brick construction. The present invention is designed to produce tiles for this purpose by slitting a conventional brick into several thin slabs-the drawings show cutter wires arranged to produce as many as eight such slabs from the standard clay bar emerging from the die, 1.

The cutter wires, 2, are secured between an extension, 3, on the face ofthe die, 1, and a second extension, 4, which serves as a slicker for compressing and smoothing the clay bar immediately following its severance by the wires, 2. The extension member, 3, is secured to the face of the die, 1, by bolts, 5, and is itself tapped at 6 Yfor fastening bolts which hold the slicker die, 4, in place. Positioning dowels, 7, may be provided inI the face of the extension, 3, to facilitate assembly of the parts.

kAs shown, the face of the machine `is tted with a plate, 8, having a set of posts, 8e, projecting from its face, at one side of the die, l, and each of the cutter wires, 2, is anchored to one of said posts through the medium of a coil spring,V 9. Thence the wires extend across the outer face of the extension, 3, and are connected to individual tensioning clips, 1), carried on a vertical shaft, l1, which is secured in lugs, l2, on the face of the plate, 8. As shown in Figure 5 the shaft, l1, is 95 notched or cut away through slightly more than half its diameter, and the tensioning clip, l0, has an annular portion, we, which is journaled upon the shaft, 11, for rotation. The wire, 2, extends across the annular part, 10a, for anchorage in a 100 notch, 10b, and a radially extending handle, 10, serves for swinging the member, l0, to a position in which the wire, 2, is tensioned through the notch, 11e, of the shaft slightly back of the axis of the s aft, vthus tending to throw the handle, 10, to a position a-t which it is stopped against the face of the machine. Each of the wires, 2, may have an enlargement secured to its end at 2a for holding it in the notch, 10b. This arrangement permits any one of the wires to be readily lll) Cit replaced if it becomes worn or breaks in operation. Preferably, for securing accurate spacing of the wires across the opening of the extruding die, 3, they are led between spacing washers or between grooves or slots, 13, formed on the rods, 14, which are shown mounted in lugs, 15, projecting from the plate, 8, and laterally adjacent the die.

As the clay is for ed through the die, 1, the extension, 3, and the slicker die, 4, there is always likely to be some difference in the frictional drag of the clay in respect to the four surfaces of the dies, and also at the corners formed by the intersection of these surfaces. Particularly with the present construction in which the clay bar or column is split into eight relatively thin slabs by the wires, 2, if there is any considerable difference as between the friction at the top surface of the clay bar and that at its bottom surface there will be a tendency for the several layers to slip upon each other, and for some of them to be deflected from the straight lines along which they should properly travel. Such a condition is illustrated in Figure 6 in which it is assumed that the friction is less at the top o-f the die than at the bottom, so that the upper layers tend to move faster than the lower under the extruding pressure from within the machine, tending to buckle upwardly and separate from the lower layers as shown. To avoid this condition I provide means for lubricating each of the four surfaces of the clay bar `and controlling such lubrication independently for each of said surfaces; and preferably I provide similar independently controlled lubrication for the corner portions o-f the clay bar so that an operator observing the action of the bar as it emerges from the machine can vary feed of oil to the several surfaces and corners at will, with the result that the bar maintains its proper and regular outline as it travels forward from the die, as shown in Figure 7. To accomplish such lubrication the slicker die, 4, has its rear edges cu-t away, as shown at 16, to form channels which, however, terminate short of the corners of the die. The corner portionsV are similarly channeled at 17, and each of the individual channels, 16 and 17, is provided with an oil feed duct, 18, leading through the outer surface of the member, 4, and communicating with a feed pipe, 19, leading from any suitable source of supply from which oil may be furnished under considerable pressure. I have found that a pressure of seventy-five pounds per square inch is satisfactory. Each of the pipes, 19, is fitted with a valve, 20, by which the rate of flow through the pipe may be controlled so that the operator may regulate the fdow to each of the ducts, 16 and 17, as conditions may require. Preferably, the operator will remain at or near the machine so as to observe the form of the extruded column as it passes from the die onto the carrying belt, 2l, from which he can judge as to what modification of the oiling may be needed from time to time to insure proper delivery of the material.

It will be understood that the belt, 21, carries the clay b-ar to suitable cutting devices of conventional type, by which it is separated into blocks of the desired length-these blocks ordinarily being of the dimensions of standard building bricks, and each block consisting of a plurality of thin slabs formed by the action of the cutter wires, 2. Partly from the sealing effect of the slicker die, 4, at the ends of the cuts produced by the wires, 2, and partly from a similar effect produced when the clay column is subdivided into brick lengths, the several slabs which make up each brick tend to adhere suiiiciently so that the block may be handled as a unit and it is therefore fired in this condition. In fact, after the firing the slabs will still adhere strongly enough so that the block may be shipped without separation of the slabs, but when they are wanted for use, as in the manufacture of the wall material already described, they may be separated by giving the block a sharp blow with a hammer adjacent the planes of cleavage. A broad wedge or chisel may be applied at the planes of separation to insure a clean break, if desired.

The titles which are to be employed in formino' corners are preferably beveled at one end so that they may be fitted together to produce more nearly the appearance of ordinary brick. To produce tiles of this shape I substitute for the regular slicker die of Figure 4 a special forming die, 22, as shown in Figure 8, having one end of its rectangular opening formed with corrugations, as indicated at 22a. These corrugations produce a clay column having angular ribs whose opposite sides form an angle of approximately 90 degrees with alternate planes of cleavage between individual tiles disposed so as to bisect these angles, as indicated by the position of the dotted lines at 23 in Figure 8, which denote said planes of cleavage. The intermediate planes, 24, are disposed respectively between the several ribs thus formed on the clay column, so that when the block is broken up into its constituent tiles each individual tile, 2.5, has one beveled end, 25a, as

seen in Figure 9, which is a side elevation of one block of such tiles before their separation.

When the special former die, 23, is employed the oiling is accomplished in substantially the same manner as when the slicker dieof Figure 4 is used. Individual oil ducts, 18, lead to the corners and to the four sides of the die for regulated distribution of oil to all portions of the clay column as it may be required. To prevent ico iis

the leakage of oil around the cutter wires, 2, v-

packing may be interposed at 26 and 27 between the former die, 3, and either of the slicker dies, 4 or 22.

I claim:-

1. In a brick or tile machine, a forming die through which a clay column is extruded, a cutter which sub-divides the column at a plane parallel to its direction of movement, a slicker die through which said column passes from the cutter, and means for applyinglubricant to therV surface of the clay after it passes the cutter and before it leaves the slicker die, and means for separately regulating the supply of lubricant to each separate surface of the clay column.

2. In a brick or tile machine, a forming die through which a clay column is extruded, a slicker die through which said column passes from said forming die, and cutting means which sub-divides the column at one or more planes parallel to its direction of movement prior to means for applying lubricant to each of the several surfaces of the column, said means including a separate duct for feeding said lubricant to each of said surfaces, and a valve provided with an operating handle to permit quick adjustment of the rate of feed of lubricant to any given surface.

4. In a brick or tile machine from which a clay column is extruded through a die, the die surface which controls the form of the column having separate and non-communicating grooves in its respective faces corresponding to the several surfaces of the column, and a separate supply duct for lubricant leading to each groove, With an individual manually adjustable valve for each duct s to permit varying the relative rate of feed of lubricant to the several surfaces readily in accordance With the action of the clay column as it` moves through the die.

5. In a brick or tile machine, a forming die through which a clay column is extruded, and

a slicker die having a flat rear face clamped to the ilat outer face of the former die with cutter Wires and packing material interposed, said slicker die being formed with oil grooves in its respective surfaces which engage the clay column. and means independently operable at Will for separately regulating the supply of oil of said grooves. l

6. In a brick or tile machine, a forming tie through which a clay column is extruded, and a slicker die having a flat rear face clamped to the flat outer face of said former die with cutter Wires interposed for sub-dividing the column at planes parallel to its direction of movement, and packing material in Which said Wires are embedded between the flat faces of said dies, the edges of the column-forming opening at the rear face of the slicker die being cut back to form grooves, each groove terminating at a distance from the corner or" the die opening to avoid communication with the other grooves, and a separate feed duct for each groove leading through the Wall of the die and connected With a source of lubricant, together with separate Valve means for each duct adjustable for regulating the supply of lubricant to each surface of the clay column.

EDWARD S. BAER. 

